"What the hell is happening to me? I feel possessed. I'm talking gibberish in the mirror and somebody else's voice is coming out of my mouth."
Cameron West was in his thirties, a successful businessman, happily married and the father of a young son when he spoke these words. The "voice" he heard belonged to Davy, the first of twenty-four distinct alter personalities to emerge over a period of several months as West began to recall memories of horrific abuse he'd repressed since childhood. Along with Davy, there was eight-year-old Clay, tense and stuttering, twelve-year-old Dusty, gentle and kind, but disappointed to find herself in a man's body, Bart, lighthearted with a sense of humor, Lief, focused and driven, who got things done, but often overwhelmed West with his intensity, and nineteen other personalities, all with distinct characteristics, mannerisms, and memories, created by West to protect his psyche from the trauma of repeated sexual abuse at the hands of family members.
In the classic New York Times Bestseller, First Person Plural, West offers a poignant account of his efforts to understand the workings of his fragmented mind and to heal his damage spirit as he desperately hangs on to the slender thread that connects him to his wife, Rikki, his son Kyle, and some semblance of a regular life.
In addition to a spellbinding story, West provides rare and unprecedented insight into the fascinating condition known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, the working of the mind of a multiple, and his alters' coexistence with one another and with the world "outside." Heartwrenching, humorous, and ultimately hopeful, First Person Plural is a story that will make you stand in awe of the power of the mind to protect itself and cheer for West as he struggles to gain control of his life.
Accolades for First Person Plural:
New York Times Bestseller
Publishers Weekly Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller
#1 Amazon.com
#1 Barnesandnoble.com
Published in twenty-two foreign countries
Personal appearances by Cameron and Rikki West:
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Today Show
Extra
20/20
Entertainment Tonight
Leeza
Maurio Costanza (Italy)
Featured in USA Today, TIME, and People
"A page-turning journey through hell." Entertainment Weekly
"For those who found Sybil or The Three Faces of Eve believable and engrossing, this account will be even more so." Kirkus Reviews
"First Person Plural is an honest, courageous account that demystifies the lives of those who struggle with Dissociative Identity Disorder." Ellen Bass author of The Courage to Heal
"First Person Plural is an incredibly important book. It is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit." Marlene E. Hunter, MD, FCFP, President International Society for the Study of Dissociation
